“I’m Jim Acosta” should be the journalists’ rallying cry in the face of Trump’s denigration of legitimate reporters.

I was heartened when reporter John Roberts told his Fox News viewers Friday that his NBC and CNN colleagues are diligent journalists, not “fake news” as President Trump proclaimed most recently that morning from London.

Then I wished Roberts had said it then and there, right to Trump’s face and to all the world. Followed by every other journalist in the room.

Not everyone is going to get called on to ask the president a question, and politicians are free to pan the press. But I’ve concluded that journalists from every legitimate news organization must stand up, as often as necessary, against the denigration of fellow journalists.

It’s ingrained in journalists not to become part of the story, but that’s impossible when the president makes you the story. It’s dangerous to be a silent bystander as Trump bashes the credibility of reporters who dare to criticize him.

I don’t know what the rallying cry would be. How about: “I’m Jim Acosta.”

2 Comments

Barbara LombardoJuly 16, 2018 at 1:53 pm

On my Facebook link to the post, Jennifer Armstrong wisely suggests not repeating the offensive phrase of the gaslighter. So this morning I edited the end of this post to avoid reference to the president’s denigrating refrain designed to undermine the free press and, with it, our democracy.

Sometimes we’re so stunned in the moment that the perfect or courageous comeback doesn’t come to us until later when we smack ourselves in the head and groan “I should’ve said……”. So frustrating. But not necessarily cowardly.